Portable electric heater



June 4, 1935. 5 G JA, JOHNSON 2,003,714

PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATR Filed April 20, 1933 INVENTOR as'zzaflb/zsa@ TTORNEY Patented June 4, 1935 i- *l `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATER Gustave A. Johnson, Newark, N. J., assignor to Electrical Patent Holding Corporation, New `York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 20, 1933, Serial No. 666,949 2 Claims. (Cl. B19- 37) This invention relates, generally, to electric Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view with parts broken heaters; and the invention has reference, more away showing a slightly modified form of conparticularly, to a novel improved portable elecstruction. tric heater. Similar characters of reference are employed Heretofore, electric heaters used for cooking in all of the above described views,to indicate cor- 5 and for other purposes have generally been so responding parts. large and cumbersome that the same cannot be Referring 110W t0 the Seid dTaWIlg, the referl'eadily Carried from place to place and hence ence numeral I designates the novel portable electheir use has been restricted to xed locations. tric heater of the Present IlVeIltOn 3S e WhOle- 10 The principal object of the present invention Heater I comprises a substantially cylindrical 10 is to provide a novel portable electric heater which casing or shell 2 which is open at its top and botis readily portable, the same occupying but little l00m. A cylindrical heater unit or hot plate 3 is space when stored, and may even be carried in Contained within the hollow interior of casing 2. the pocket of the user, the said heater being The hot plate or heater unit 3 is made of suitable l5 adapted to be set up for use in a moments time. refractory and electrical insulating materiel, Such l5 Another objectof the present invention'lies in as asbestos cement, and has its upper surface the provision of a novel portable electric heater provided With Spiral grOOVeS 4, Within Which iS 0f the above character adapted to produce' an inpositioned a coiled electrical resistance wire 5. tense heat in use for effectively performing culi- The ends of resistance wire 5 are connected to nary and other operations, the said heater having terminal DOStS 6 and 'l Which are electrically con- 20 novel folding iegs adapted to fold fiat against the nected respectively t0 electrical conducting Strips bodyof the heater when the same is stored. 8 and 9 positioned on the under surface of the Another object of the present invention is to heater unit 3. provide a novel portable electric heater of the Conducting strips 8 and 9 are illustrated as 2'5 above character which is so constructed and arintegrally connected to terminal prongs I0 and g ranged as to employair currents operating by II, which prongs have their innerportions atconvection in addition to direct heat radiation tached as by screws I2 to the under surface of for eifectively transferring heat to the object the heater unit 3 and have their outer end pordesired to be heated at any time, the said air tions projecting outwardly through an aperture currents being also employed for cooling the cas- I3 provided in the wall of casing 2 for receiving 30 ing of the heater and for preventing the undue an electric socket member I4. Socket member heating of the surface supporting theheater. I4 is connected by lead I5 to the usual plug IB Other objects of this invention, not at this that is adapted to be inserted into a convenience time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly outlet, as is well known.

A understood from the following detailed descrip- The heater unit or hot plate 3 is of lesser di- 35 tion ofthe same. ameter than the internal diameter of casing 2,

The invention is clearly illustrated in the acso that there is provided an annular air circulatcompanying drawing, in which: ing spacev I1 between the heater unit and the Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the novel portshell 2. In order to maintain the desired space 4o able electric heater of the present invention shown I I between the inner surface of the shell side 40 connected to an electric outlet as in use. walls and the peripheral surface of the heater Fig. 2 is a plan View of the heater illustrated unit, the shell 2 is provided with a plurality of in Fig. 1- circumferentially arranged and angularly spaced,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken subinwardly directed apertured bosses or spacing stantially along line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the elements I8, which bosses not only serve to space 45 direction of the arrows. all parts of the periphery of the heater unit in- Fig. 4 is a reduced sectional view taken along wardly away from the walls of the shell 2, but line 4--4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the also serve to grip the heater unit to thereby rearrows. tain the heater unit and the shell 2 in fixed po- Fig. 5 is a View in elevation showing the appearsitions with respect to one another. The heater 50 ance of the heater with the legs thereof in their unit 3 is provided with a plurality of vertical folded positions. apertures or vents 36 which serve to provide for Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views illustratan upward flow of air through the heater unit in ing the manner of folding the legs of the heater; use.

and The upper part of the shell 2 is provided with 55 a plurality of mutually spaced tongues i9 that have their upper portions bent over into overlying relation with respect to the upper peripheral edge portion of the heater unit 3, whereby these upper bent over portions of the tongues i9 serve to support vessels and other articles placed upon the heater in use.

A sheet metal bottom plate member 2l is positioned below the heater unit 3 within casing 2. Bottom plate member 2i is formed with up turned lugs 22 which serve to space this bottomv plate member 2l a desired distance from the under surface of the heater unit, to therebyv pro vide a space 2! for the circulation of air between the heater unit and this bottom plate member as will further appear. vThe bottom plate member 2| is held in assembled relation with the heater unit 3 by a screw 23 that has its upper portion embedded in the heater unit 3 and its lower portion provided with nuts 2e for securing the bottom plate member thereto. A spacer member 25 is shown provided upon the screw 23 for aiding in spacing the bottom plate member 2l from the heater unit 3. The bottom plate member 2l islormed with three pairs of down-turned ears 2B, which ears are struck downwardly from the body of the bottom plate member 2i as especially shown in Fig. 4.

The` two ears 26 of each pair of ears are spacedV a suiicient distance apart from each other to receive therebetween tongues 3l formed on side flanges 2S of legs 3Q. The two ears of each pair have aligned circular apertures iorconformahly receiving and holdingl a pivotal bolt 2,?, which bolt also extends through slots 23 provided in the tongues 3l of each leg 3U.. The legs Sil are illustrated as spaced angularly 120 from one another about' the central vertical axis of the heater, but it is to be understood that a greater number of these legs may be used, if desired, in which caserthe angular spacing of the legs would be decreased. The side ilanges 29 of each leg are provided with slots 32 (see especia-L ly Figs. 5v to 7) adjoining the tongues 3l, which slots are oi suiiicient width to receive the wall of casing 2 therein.

When the heater is in its useful position shown in Figs. 1 to Li, the lower portion of casing 2 projects downwardly into the slots 32 and the bolts 27 engage the bottoms of slots 28 of the legs. The lower portion of the casing 2 is provided with three outstruck bosses'33, which bosses are positioned so as to snugly engage conforming grooves 35 provided in the upper portions of legs Sil when these legs are in their useful outturned positions shown in Figs 1 to 4. Thus, when the legs Sli are in their out-turned useful positions, the lower edge portion of the casing 2 is gripped between the inner edges of slots 32 and the recesses 34, so that the legs 3Q are firmly held in their useful, positions. The bolts 2l by engaging the bottoms of slots 28 also serve to enhance the rigidity with which the legs 3 5 grip the casing 2. It will be noted that resilient pressure is exerted between bosses 33 and recesses 3d so that the inner edges of slots 32 press againt the inner walls of casing 2, whereas the depressions 34 press against the bosses V33, thereby securing a very firm grip, resulting in great stabilityV of the standing heater.

When it isdesired to store the heater as when carrying the same from place to place, `the legs 33 are folded against the under surface of the bottom meinber- 2l. .To accomplish this, the

heater is gripped as shown in Fig. 6 and each leg is pulled downwardly causing its depression 34 to disengage boss and also causing slot to move out of engagement with the wall of casing 2. After the leg has been pulled downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5, it may be turned inwardly as shown in Fig. 7 until the same is ilat against the bottom member 2l as shown in Fig. 5, the turning of the leg being permitted by the turning of the upper ends of slots 28 upon the bolt 2l. When it is desired to again set up the heater for use, each leg is turned outwardly and then pushed upwardly so that the lower portion of the casing 2 will enter slots 32 and thereafter boss 33 will engage in depression 313, thereby rigidly locking the leg in its outturned supporting position.

In use, when plug i6 is inserted into a convenienceoutlet, current is supplied to the coiled resistance wire 5 which becomes intensely hot andthrows a great amount of heat'upwardly and upon the object being heated. Owing to the redness ofthe coiled wire 5, considerable heat is transmitted to the object heated by direct radiation. The hot plate 3 holding the coiled wire 5 soon becomes quite hot but, owing to the pressence of the annular air circulating space I'I surrounding the sides of the hot plate and to the presence of the air space 20 below this hot plate, relatively little heat istransmitted to casing 2 so that this casing remains relatively cool as is desired. Y ,The hot plate 3, due to its high temperature, sets up currents of air in spaces 2Q and I1, which currents of air flow in the directions of the arrows in Fig. 3. Thus, air passes upwardly through/the space extending between the bottom plate member 2l and the casing 2 and then flows through the space 20 extending under the hot plate and over the bottom plate member 2|. From the space 20, wherein the air becomes heated somewhat, the warmed air ows Vupwardly by convection through the annular space l1 and through Vents 36 in the hot plate, thereby absorbing considerable heat from the hot plate and becoming quite hot. This hot air then passes up wardly and against the object being heated, thereby hastening the heating of such object.

Owing to the flow of air'through the heater in use, the intense heat of the hot plate or heater unit is not transmitted to casing 2 and bottom plate member 2 l, so that the heater does not seem unduly hot to persons standing near by and the surface 3l upon which the heater rests is not injured or charred. When the plug I6 is removed from the convenience outlet, the heater cools almost immediately, thereby allowing the legs to be folded flat against the bottom plate member 2l, if desired, ready for storing or carrying about.

Owing to the novel construction of the legs 30 having the casing receiving slots 32 therein together with the depressions 34 for engaging bosses 33, the heater is very stable when set up for use, and at the same time, bymerely pulling the legs 3l! downwardly from the main body of the heater, these legs may be turned inwardly into their out of the way positions, as shown in Fig. 5. The heater may then be put into ones pocket and carried about, if desired. Y

Although the heater hasbeen described as par-A ticularly suitable for heating objects and for cooking purposes, it will be apparent that the same may be used satisfactorily' for heating rooms, if desired, the circulation of air through the heater by convection enhancing the value of the heater for this purpose.

It will be apparent that instead of using a single pivotal bolt 21 for connecting the tongues 3| of a leg to a pair of ears 26, a pair of pivotal bolts or rivets may be used for this purpose, in which case each pivotal bolt or rivet would extend through one tongue 3| and an adjoining ear 26. It will also be apparent that, if desired, the bottom plate member 2 l may be omitted, in which case the bolts 21 and legs 30 will be carried as by U-shaped brackets 40 (see Fig. 8) having downturned ears 26' similar to ears 26 already described. The U-shaped brackets 40 are illustrated in Fig. 8 as secured directly to the undersurface of hot plate 3 by means of screws 38.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, as dened by the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown 'm the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable electric heater of the character described having a heater unit, a casing for said heater unit, said casing being open at its top and bottom, a bottom plate member substantially closing the bottom of said casing, said bottom plate member having down-turned ears thereon, folding legs having tongues provided with slots therein and cooperating with said ears,

hinged pintles extending through said ears and through the slots in said leg tongues for hingedly connecting said legs to said bottom plate member, said legs being arranged to be turned either inwardly into folded position upon said bottom plate member or outwardly for supporting said casing, said legs having recesses therein for receiving portions of said casing when said legs are in their out-turned positions to thereby lock said legs in supporting relation to said casing, said casing and said legs having cooperating projections and depressions, respectively, for rigidly locking said legs in their out-turned positions.

2. In a portable electric heater of the character described having a heater unit, a casing for said heater unit, said casing being open at its top and bottom and having its side walls spaced outwardly from said heater unit, a bottom plate member xed upon said heater unit in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of said heater unit, said bottom plate member substantially closing the bottom of said casing and having depending ears thereon, folding legs having their upper ends connected for pivotal and limited sliding movement upon said ears, said legs being arranged to be turned either radially inwardly into folded position upon said bottom plate member or outwardly for supporting said casing, said legs having slots thereon for receiving portions of said casing when said legs are in their out-turned positions to thereby lock said legs in supporting relation to said casing.

GUSTAVE A. JOHNSON. 

